Towson Bank Robbery Suspect Died In House Fire: Report

RISING SUN, MD – The man suspected in several bank robberies in the Towson area reportedly died in a house fire Sunday night in Cecil County.

The FBI had released photos this week of the man, who was wanted in four Baltimore County bank robberies, and over the weekend, the FBI had tracked him to a house on McGrady Road in Rising Sun when the childhood friend he was staying with alerted authorities that he was there, according to WBAL.

After officers tried to serve a warrant at the home, the suspect (identified as Mike Wallace by his friend, John Kohl) barricaded himself in the basement around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday and died in a fire, the TV station reported.

Related: Towson Banks Robbed, FBI Offers Reward

The suspect was wanted in connection with several bank robberies. According to the FBI, he demanded cash using a note and left on foot.

The robberies occurred Oct. 30 to Nov. 10, according to Fox 45, which said they happened at the following locations:

• MECU, 8500 block of Loch Raven Boulevard, at 5:08 p.m. on Nov. 10
• SunTrust, 1600 block of East Joppa Road, at 4:50 p.m. on Nov. 10
• M&T Bank, 8800 Waltham Woods Road, at 12:20 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3
• M&T Bank, 8800 block of Waltham Woods Road, at 3:47 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 30

Wallace had served time in prison for a bank robbery in California, Kohl told The Cecil Whig, which reported Wallace allegedly said to his friend that he would rather "'take himself out'" than return to jail.

Photo courtesy of FBI.